Apparatus for sterilizing liquids by means of ultra-violet rays



Nov. 6 1923. 1,473,095

v. HENRI ET AL APPARATUS FOR STEHILIZING LIQUIDS BY MEANS OF ULTRA VIOLET RAYS Original Filed Oct. 31, 1910 Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,473,095 PATENT OFFICE VICTOR HENRI, OI ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, ANDRE HELBRONNEB, OI PARIS, FRANCE,

AND HA1 VON BECKLINGHAUSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR. BTERILIZING LIQUIDS BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

Original application fled October 31, l91 0, Serial No. 589,995. Divided and this application filed April 2, 1918. Serial 110. 226,846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Vwron HENRI, a citizen of the Republic of France and residing at Zurich, Switzerland, ANDRE HELBRON- 5 Name citizen of the Republic of France, and residing at Paris, France, and MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN, a citizen of Germany, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ap aratus for Sterilizin Liquids by Means of Elltra-Violet Rays, 0 which the followin is a specification.

his invention which constitutes the subject matter of this application, relates to the treatment and sterilization of liquids by means of ultra-violet rays. This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 589995, filed October 31st, 1910, and inasmuch as the objects, purposes and advantages of sterilization by means 0 ultra-violet rays have been elaborately discussed in that application we will proceed to a discussion, in specific terms, of the aparatus which we are specifically claiming erein.

This particular application has to do with apparatus for destroying bacteria in water supply systems by means of ultra-violet rays, :0 and has for its object certain improvements in elements ada ted to sterilize or destroy the pathogenic Eacteria in a water supply system where the pressure may exceed that of the atmosphere.

5 The most convenient source of ultra-violet rays known at the resent time is the mercury vapor lamp aving a container of uartz, and a lamp of this character is there- ?ore referable for sterilization purposes. a Consi erable difliculty has, however, been experienced in operating such lamps in a gaseous environment where the pressure exceeds that of the atmosphere, because, in the first place, heated quartz is pervious to 15 ases, and, secondly, it is difficult to seal the eading-in wires into the lam in such a manner that the joint will ho d good for any length of time. The object therefore of the present invention is to construct the o apparatus in such a manner that the lamps operate either under ordinary atmospheric pressure or in a vacuum, so that there is no danger of gases penetrating into the interior of the lamp through its walls.

We therefore provide the apparatus, in accordance with this invention, with means for illuminating the li uid from the exterior through a wall whic is wholly transparent to ultra-violet rays or transparent on the side which is located in the direct path of the said rays.

As ultra-violet rays penetrate more deeply into the water or other liquid to be sterillZBCl they become less active and therefore the parts of the water nearest the source of ultra-violet rays will be acted upon to a reater extent than those parts which are arther away. In order therefore to secure uniformity and a sufficiency of action on the total bulk of water treated, it is desirable to provide means for circulating the water through the apparatus so that each and every molecule of the same are acted upon to the necessary extent, and as far as possible to an equal degree. For this reason the water should be circulated and a itated within the sphere of action so that a 1 particles of fluids will not only flow through that portion of the apparatus where they will receive the maximum effect of the rays but also move about in such manner that said particles will receive the rays from all sides. To do this, in this particular case, guides or home plates are employed, care being taken, however, to so arrange the parts that such guides or baille plates do not shelter any parts of the water from the rays.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly sectional of a sterilizing chamber having a number of tubular windows arranged in the form of a grille.

Fig. 2'is a perspective view of a modified form illustrating a number of sterilizing chambers or compartments each of which is provided with a window permeable to the ultra-violet rays, said windows facing the part of the lamp which emits such ra s.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a urther modification having windows facing the part of the lamp which emits the ultra-violet re s.

ig. 4 illustrates the preferred construction of an artificial means for creating edd currents in the water as it flows throng the apparatus.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, .and first to theconstruction shown in Fig. 1, we provide the apparatus with one or more tubular windows permeable to ultra-violet rays and the lam capable of emitting such rays is suppo Q in or near said windows so that the ultra-violet rays emitted by the lamp pass thro h the windows and act upon the li uid passing through the apparatus The tu ular windows are provided with connecting passages and the apparatus arranged so that the liquid asses throu h the tubes, one or more lam ing locat outside the tubes in proximity thereto. To this end a number of quartz tubes 10, constituting chambers for the li uid to be sterilized, having any suitable a are mounted with their open ends attac ed to the connecting passages 11, which ma be made of metal or other suitable material. The connecting passages 11 permit the water to pass from one quartz tube to the next in series. The lamp .12, provided if desired with a reflector 13, is supported adjacent the grille and as the liquid passes through in the direction shown b the arrows, it is exposed to the ultra-vio et rays emitted by 'the lamp, which pass through the windows. The grille is provided with an inlet 14 and an outlet 15 for the liquid to be sterilized.

In the modified'form of apparatus illustrated in Figure 2 the small sterilizing eleinent comprises two tubes or chambers 16 of substantially semi-circular cross section throu h which the water to be sterilized is cause to pass in succession. The chambers 1 are provided with any suitable interconnectin means 17. The chambers are so arrange? that their flat sides face each other wit I a space between them in which the lamp 12 is located. The flat sides are provided with quartz windows 18 so that the ra s can pass through and act upon the water w ich is flowing through the same. Suitable inlet and outlet pipes 19 and 20 are em- Iii the modified construction shown in Fig. 3 the lamp 12 is surrounded by a number of chambers 21, which are substantially trapezoidal in cross section and are connected together by the pipes 22 so that the water to be sterilized passes through them in succession. These chambers are provided with quartz windows 23 in those sides which are nearest the lamp and the sloping or inclined sides of the chambers are arranged substantially in a radial direction from the lamp tube, thus not only avoiding shadows within the chambers but also efliciently utilizing the maximum amount of rays. The water which passes through the chambers from the inlet 24 to the outlet 25 is throughout its course directly exposed to the ultra-violet ravs emitted by the lamp and can thus be efficiently sterilized. It will be obvious that the number of chambers located around the lamp. in this manner may be varied, since they may be arranged to surround it on all sides or the lamp may be provided with a suitable reflector 26 on that side where no chamber is provided as shown in broken lines.

As previously pointed out it is sometimes necessary, in order to economically and eflic entliv effect a thorough sterilization of the liqul to provide an artificial means for imparting a rotary motion to the liquid or for roduc'ing local eddy currents therein. To t is end, and in order to agitate and circulate the liquid so that particles of solid matter in the same are turned over and over, and in order to bring the water which is passing under one lamp near the bottom of the apparatus, so that when it passes under the next lamp it is brought nearer the top, baflle plates are arranged as shown at 27, Fig. 4. These balile plates are preferably made of metal and are so constructed that the liquid passing through apertures in the same has a rotary or swirling motion imparted to it. A simple method of accomplishing this object is illustrated by Figs. 1 and 4. Two cuts at an angle are made in the plate 27 and the material between the cuts is bent out in the direction of the flow of the liquid, so that the outstanding triangular portion forms a Ii 28 which deflects the liquld paming throug the aperture 29 and, impinging thereon, forms eddy currents and cause the current of liquid to take up a rotary or'swirlin movement. Any convenient number of t ese apertures with the corresponding lips may be provided in each baflie plate according to the dimensions of the trough and the rate at which the water flows through the same.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 1 the bailie plates are located in the passages of the conduit about midway between two successive sources of ultra-violet rays. Thus the water has suflicient time, after being stirred up on passing the baflles 27, to settle down again before it again comes underneath the succeeding rays.

The modified form of circulating baflle shown in Fig. 5 is provided with tubular passages 30 which are arranged to lead the water from the top of the conduit to the bottom and vice versa.. In connection with Figs. 2 and 3 it will be understood that the interconnecting tubes 17 and 22 may be'provided with baflle means similar to the baflle illustrated in Fig. 1.

Although the apparatus is particularly intended for destroying bacteria in a water supply system where the pressure exceeds that of the atmosphere it is also suitable for treating water by means of ultra-violet rays at ordinary atmos heric pressure, and We find furthermore t at it may be adve geously employed for treating with ultraviolet rays iquids which are somewhat less translucent than water, such as white wines for the purpose of agin them and for carrying out various chemica reactions in liquids by means of the ultra violet rays.

It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions and arrangements shown and described as it is obvious that several changes in arrangement and structure may be resorted to without deviating from the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus for treating liquids by means of ultra-violet rays the combination of a pluralitv of tubular windows or chambers permeable to ultra-violet ra s, manifolds connecting said tubular win ows, and

a lam capable of emitting ultra-violet rays locates in proximity to said tubular windows.

2. In apparatus for treating 1i uids by means of ultra-violet rays, the com ination of a plurality of tubular windows or chambers permeable to ultra-violet rays, manifolds connectin said tubular Wll'ldOWS, a lamp capable o emitting ultra-violet rays located in proximity to said tubular windows, and a reflector arranged over said lamp.

3. In apparatus for treating liquids by means of ultra-violet rays the combination of a plurality of parallel tubular windows or chambers permeable to ultra-violet rays, manifolds connecting said tubular windows, and a lamp capable of emitting ultra-violet rays located in proximity to said tubular windows.

4. In ap aratus for treating li uids by means of u tra-violet rays, the com ination of a plurality of parallel tubular windows or chambers permeable to ultra-violet rays, manifolds connecting said tubular windows, a lamp capable of emitting ultra-violet rays located in proximity to said tubular windows, and a reflector arranged over said lamp.

5. In an apparatus for treating liquids by means of ultra-violet rays, the combination with a plurality of chambers through which the liquid to be sterilized is caused to flow seriatim, each of said chambers provided with a wall which is wholly permeable or transparent to the ra or permeable or transparent on the si e of said chambers which is located in the direct path of said rays, and a lamp capable of emitting ultraviolet rays located in proximity to said windows.

6. In an apparatus for treating liquid by meansof ultra-violet rays the combination of a plurality of chambers through which the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow seriatlm, each of said chambers provided with a wall which is permeable to the ra s, and a lamp capable of emitting ultra-vio et rays located in proximity to said windows.

In an apparatus for treating liquids by means of ultra-violet rays the combination of a plurality of chambers through which the liquid to be sterilized is adapted to flow seriatim, each of said chambers resenting a face or side which is permea le to the ultra-violet rays, and a lamp capable of emit ting ultra-violet rays located in proximity to said faces or sides.

8. In an apparatus for sterilizing liquids by means of ultra-violet rays comprising a passage through which the liquid to be sterilized is caused to flow, a source of ultra violet rays located in close proximity to said passage, in combination 'with a bafiie for imparting a swirling motion to said 1i uid.

9. In an apparatus for treating liqui sby means of ultra-violet rays the combination of a, assage through which the liquid is caused to flow, a source of ultra-violet ra s supported adjacent said'passage, and a ba e plate in said passa e provided with one or more outstanding ip portions so that the liquid, impinging thereon, will take up a rotary or swirling movement in passing said source of rays.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names as follows: b the said VwroR HENRI on the 28th day oi Februarg, 1918; by the said ANDR HELBRONNER on t e 28th day of February, 1918; and by the said Max voN RECKLINGHAUSEN on the 19th day of March, 1918. i

ANDRE HELBRONNER. VICTOR HENRI.

By ANDRE HELBRONNER.

MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1,473,095, granted November 6, 1923, upon the apriiication of 'Victor Henri, of Zurich, Switzerland, Andre Helbronner, of Paris, rance,'and Max von Recklinhausen of New York N. Y., for an improvement in A paratus for 'Sterilizipg iquids hy Means of Ijltra-Violet Rays, were erroneou y issued to the inventors, whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to The R. U. V. Company, Inc., a"6"orpomtion of New York, said corporation being assignee of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the records of assignments in this oflice; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of February, A. D., 1924.

[sun] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

